246 FOX-HUNTING IN THE SHIRES 



Nevertheless, in spite of the fact that many small 

 horses have gone well over Leicestershire, and with 

 suitable weights even ponies of polo height have dis- 

 tinguished themselves, yet I think that a hard rider 

 can never hold that commanding position in a run 

 on a small horse, however good, that he can on a big 

 one. The lesser animal must screw through some 

 fences and creep where the big horse can stride or 

 crash through. Both may jump a big place in good 

 style and land safely, yet the little horse has necessarily 

 taken a great deal more out of himself in the effort. 

 On the other hand, it may be argued with justice that 

 the smaller horses often stay better than the big ones 

 and that, as a rule, they come round again sooner 

 after a hard day. Other things being equal, then, the 

 smaller horses will give you more hunting than the 

 larger ones. I knew well a most brilliant horse, a big, 

 tall, rather narrow animal, that was a most perfect ride 

 in fast gallops with the Quorn, with which he was 

 hunted. But he could not be depended on to come 

 out more than about once a fortnight if he had had 

 anything like a hard day. On the other hand, I have 

 known small horses that would do a fair day's work 

 twice a week and seem none the worse for it. 



Even in Leicestershire, for a man who does not 

 mean to ride quite in front but who wishes to see a 

 great deal of sport with a small stud, smaller horses 

 will enable him to go out more often in proportion 

 to the size of his stud than big ones. This question 

 is to a certain extent independent of weight, for I 

 notice that first-flight men and women, even though 

 comparatively light weights, ride as a rule big, well- 

 bred horses up to about fourteen stone to look at. 

 Mr. Tailby is a noted instance of a light weight who 

 always rode big horses, and most of my Leicestershire 



